


Can't Say No to You

by whitewoofgeralt



Series: Marvel Bingo 2019 [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Animal Shelter AU, Idiots in Love, M/M, One Shot, Sam Wilson is the best bro, Steve POV, Stucky - Freeform, a smidge of angst, dodger makes a quick appearance/mention, marvelbingo2019, no powers au, post-serum Steve, seriously they're idiots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-27 03:59:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20039569
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whitewoofgeralt/pseuds/whitewoofgeralt
Summary: Steve Rogers was a sucker for an animal lover; got all gooey inside whenever someone got down on the animal’s level for belly scratches and nonsensical babble. Especially when it came to attractive men in too tight pants and a megawatt smile, who loved animals just as much as he did.





	Can't Say No to You

**Author's Note:**

> Marvel bingo prompt: Animal Shelter (B4). 
> 
> I stumbled across a picture that had a "I said I wouldn't hook up with him then I did again" jar and I went "oh, this really needs to be in a fic". My friend Michelle being who she is, obviously encouraged it. So, obviously this one is for her. She puts up with a lot from me.... she's bascially my sounding board for all things fic whether she wants it or not. 
> 
> Thanks to the awesome betheflame for the edit! Any remaining mistakes are my own.

Steve Rogers was a sucker for an animal lover; got all gooey inside whenever someone got down on the animal’s level for belly scratches and nonsensical babble. Especially when it came to attractive men in too tight pants and a megawatt smile, who loved animals just as much as he did. Which was exactly why he found himself in a little bit of a pickle - a jam, you could say. Because while he liked to think of himself as a smart guy, when it came to a certain man with shaggy brown hair and gray blue eyes that he batted unabashedly at Steve, and his _ please Steve, call me Bucky _ as he scratched the shih tzu who’d just come in behind the ears, well… Steve was kind of a dope sometimes. 

Bucky was a charmer, a natural flirt, and despite knowing better, Steve found himself being drawn in. He wasn’t quite wrapped around Bucky’s little finger, but it wasn’t far off. The thing about Bucky, though, was that he liked the attention and Steve could tell. Liked the way men and women alike paid him attention; the way they hung off every word he said, the way they leaned in a little to close. A casual touch there, a lingering look here. Bucky ate it up, leaving Steve to watch from the sidelines. 

None of it would have been a problem if Bucky hadn’t continued to offer his services every Saturday. It also wouldn’t have been a problem if Steve hadn’t been thinking with his dick one night and agreed to a date he’d said no to a dozen times before. 

But now Bucky was a permanent fixture around Cap’s Animal Rescue, and while their date had gone surprisingly well, nothing had ever come from it. Well, aside from the good - nay, _ great _ \- sex they’d had afterwards. Steve told himself that he was okay with it, that he had gone into it with no expectations so neither of them was under any obligation to go on a second date or anything else. He knew who Bucky was, what he did, and knew that he enjoyed it, so Steve wasn’t naive enough to believe that he’d be the one to change Bucky. 

Spoiler alert: he _ definitely _ wasn’t. A fact that was made abundantly clear when he’d run into Bucky the next night, clearly on a date. After he’d fumbled through a rather awkward introduction on his part, Steve had vowed he’d never let a man with a pretty smile lead him astray again.

Never, ever. 

Until Bucky offered his bed again.

Saying no to good dick was never easy and Steve’s resolve to never sleep with Bucky Barnes turned out to be for nought. Every time he told himself no, every time he voiced it aloud, he found himself nevertheless crawling out of Bucky’s bed the next morning riddled with shame and self-disgust. 

The truth of it was, Steve _ really _ wasn’t built for casual. He was a feelings kind of guy, a romantic guy. A guy who wanted to come home at the end of a long day and be with the person he loved. He wanted to bicker and argue and know that no matter what, they’d be at his six. 

He didn’t have that with Bucky. Most likely never would, so every time he found himself back in Bucky’s bed, he found himself wishing that he was strong enough to say no and follow through. Bucky was no good for him - at least not like this. 

And yet… 

Rolling his head to the side, Steve took in Bucky’s sleeping form. The rumpled hair, the way his cheek was mashed into the pillow, the blankets that he’d kicked off in the night; revealing miles of tan skin. It made Steve’s fingers itch to touch, made his heart race and his breathing catch. Bucky was beautiful and Steve was so stupidly in love with him. 

Sighing softly, he looked away as he got out of bed and knew that if he didn’t make his escape now, he’d only fall right back into Bucky’s arms the moment the other man woke up. 

He dressed quickly and quietly, thankful for his foresight to keep his clothes within easy reach. When he was finished, he allowed himself one last look before he slipped from the house and out into the already humid morning. 

Outside, he pulled his phone from his pocket and checked his messages; rolled his eyes when he saw he’d missed a couple from Sam. Opening them, he read them over as he unlocked his car and climbed in.

_ Sam: you’re late for work, man. Where are you? _

_ Sam: you’re at Bucky’s aren’t you? Damn steve. _

_ Sam: you know you’re going to have to put $5 in the jar right? _

With a huff, he tossed his phone onto the empty seat beside him before starting his truck and backing out onto the road. 

***

The jar had started out as somewhat of a joke, or at least that’s the story Sam told. But in actuality, Steve knew that it was to hold him accountable for all the times that he’d allowed Bucky to talk his way into his pants. He hated that fucking jar. Hated the way the money sat in there, mocking him. And yet it still wasn’t enough to keep him away. 

So when he talked into Cap’s Animal Rescue and found Sam standing by the front counter, jar in hand with its clearly labeled _ I said I wouldn’t hook up with him then I did again jar _, he cursed out loud. 

“You brought that thing to work?” 

Sam gave him a cheeky grin as he sat it down on the counter. “Pay up, Steve.” 

“I want this on the record that I consider this a fireable offence,” he muttered as he dug into jeans for the five he knew was stuffed in there somewhere. Let out a little ah-ha when he found it and dropped it into the jar. “There, happy?” 

Sam rolled his eyes as he placed the jar out of sight. “You would be lost without me, admit it. Also, you should probably start carrying around a walk of shame bag or at least keep one stashed here.” 

Steve made a noncommittal sound and headed towards his office, Sam following behind him. “Anything I need to know?” 

Leaning against the door frame, Sam crossed his ankles. “Not really. Everyone is watered and fed and just about ready for their yard time.” 

“Good, good.” Sitting down behind his desk, he fired up his computer. “Why don’t you do that now and I’ll join you in ten.” 

Sam didn’t leave right away. Instead, he regarded Steve with an expression that he had seen a dozen times before. “Why don’t you just talk to him, man?” 

Why hadn’t he? Sam had a valid question and Steve didn’t have an answer for it. At least not a very good one. He was stubborn, didn’t like to admit to weakness and he had a tendency to be kind of self sacrificing, but what the hell was he sacrificing here? His pride, maybe. Definitely his dignity. And for what? He got nothing out of their arrangement other than orgasm after orgasm after orgasm. He didn’t get fancy date nights and after sex cuddles were scarce. Steve too scared to get too close and Bucky… well, he never knew what was going on inside of Bucky’s head; had always just assumed that he was thinking about his next date. His next conquest or whatever. 

So yeah, talking to Bucky was kind of out of the question. 

“And tell him what?” 

Sam shrugged. “I don’t know, but surely anything is better than this.” 

“I’m fine.” 

“Sure you are.” 

Steve watched as Sam opened the door that lead to the back, the chorus of happy dog barks spilling out. He closed his eyes, let the sounds wash over him before they disappeared back behind the closed door. 

He’d get over Bucky eventually. He had to. 

***

Two adoptions and one application in the process meant that Steve was floating on cloud nine. Even though he was a little sad to say goodbye, he was happy his animals had found their forever homes. Whistling, he pushed through the back door and into the chaos of excited dogs. 

“Hey guys,” he greeted, laughing a little. “You see me every day, no need to get so excited.” More barking was the only response he got and with a little shake of his head, he headed towards the back shelf. “You guys hungry?” 

Steve worked with a practiced ease that spoke volumes of how much he loved doing this. He measured each dog’s food out carefully, making sure not to over feed. He doled out proper medications to those who needed it and gave each dog their share of loving. When he was finished, he went through the evening routine: yard time for the dogs while he swept up their kennels before heading outside to play fetch. Maybe he’d even take some extra time with a pup he had started referring to as Dodger; the pup who had managed to pull a little harder on Steve’s heartstrings with his playful nature and relentless kisses.

He was just finishing up with the last kennel when the door burst open and Bucky walked through it. Steve paused, broom in hand, and watched in confusion as Bucky headed towards him; body taut with tension, brow furrowed and mouth pulled down into a tight line. In all the time that Steve had known Bucky, he didn’t think he had ever seen him like this. Like he’d come here looking for a fight. 

Unsure of what he should do, he swallowed down his uncertainty and gave Bucky a small smile even as anxiety coiled in his belly. “Hey, Buck.” 

“Hey, Buck,” Bucky repeated, drawing the words out. Making them harsh. He met Steve’s gaze as his own turned into something thunderous. Something that made Steve want to take a step back, would have it he weren’t made of something stronger. “That’s seriously all you’re going to say to me, pal?” 

“I ...what?” Taken aback, all Steve could do was gape at Bucky. Whatever he’d been expecting, it hadn’t been this.

Bucky began pacing, his chest rising and falling rapidly. “I can’t keep doing this, Stevie. I can’t. I thought I could… but ...” He threw his hands up in the air. “I can’t.” 

“Bucky, you need to slow down.” Setting the broom aside, Steve stepped out of the kennel and moved until he was standing in front of Bucky. “I’m a little confused.” 

“So am I.” 

Steve watched as Bucky deflated and his shoulders slumped. He wanted to reach out, pull Bucky into a hug but knew that he couldn’t. Instead, he shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “Talk to me.”

Bucky took a deep breath, readying himself for whatever he was about to say. He met Steve’s gaze headon.

“I like you, Steve. I like you so much that I think I’m probably even maybe in love with you and I don’t know what to do with that. Especially since every time I think we’re making headway, you fucking disappear the next morning.”

“What?” Surely he hadn’t heard Bucky right or maybe he was dreaming, because there was no way he just said that he was in love with Steve. The Bucky he knew was a bit of a player, he didn’t catch feelings or fall in love. 

“You heard me, pal.”

“But I.. I thought…” He swallowed hard, his hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck. This was almost too much to process. “You flirt, like a lot.” 

“So?” Bucky quirked a questioning eyebrow. 

“You went on a date with someone else after we….” he gestured with his hands, knowing Bucky would catch on to what he was trying to say. 

“That was because you took off the next morning. Just like you do every time we end up in bed together. I was fucking confused, Steve.” 

“I thought you didn’t want more.” 

“Because I went on that date?” 

“Yes.” 

“Dammit, Steve,” Bucky muttered as he reached out and gripped his hands into Steve’s shirt, pulling him close. His eyes flickered over Steve’s face before he tilted his head up ever so slightly and crushed his mouth to Steve’s. 

The kiss was searing, and so unlike the ones that had shared before. It left Steve’s knees weak, forced him to wrap his arms around Bucky’s waist as he fought to stay upright. When they finally broke apart, Bucky dropped his forehead against Steve’s. 

“Did you really think I wouldn’t want more with you, Steve? Shit. I’ve never wanted anyone more in my entire life, pal.” 

“Should have just told me,” Steve muttered, heart pounding.

“How could I when you rendered me stupid, Stevie. God, I felt like I was back in high school and I just had my first crush all over again. Watching you in this place, with the animals. The way your eyes get all misty when a pup finds a new home…. I think I fell in love with you my first day here.” 

Steve let out a shaky laugh as he trailed one hand up Bucky’s side, stopping only to cup the side of his face. “Sounds to me like we wasted a lot of time, Buck.” 

“No fucking shit.” 

“Maybe we should start over. Do this proper.” 

“As long as you promise you ain’t gonna disappear in the morning,” Bucky said, coy, as he leaned in for a quick kiss that still managed to take Steve’s breath away. 

“I think I can manage that.” When Bucky moved to step away, Steve tugged him back. “I think I love you too, just so you know.” 

***

_ Sam: I’m keeping the money in the jar. _

_ Sam: Call it payment for dealing with your idiotic asses for months. _

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are love! Also come say hi on tumblr or twitter: buckysawsteve! <3


End file.
